Background

Deemed the one-stop-shop for all things motorsports, Speedware Motorsports is a multi-faceted business designed to meet all the needs of motor enthusiasts. Fueled by its employees’ and customers’ passion and a desire to provide the most current product and performance information, Speedware stands alone as a community and industry leader.

Problem

The company saw tremendous growth during its nearly fifteen years in business, and founder Shaun Duncan recognized the need to stay in touch with many different types of audiences -- all with different messages. Speedware needed to communicate with all the diverse branches of its business – from manufacturing to retail, and e-commerce and distribution – and extend their message around the world. Not only that, but while the audience shares a passion for high-end cars, their individual interests range from NASCAR to luxury automobiles. In late 2006, Speedware began looking for an efficient way to customize its marketing efforts to reach specific demographics in its growing customer base. In addition, it was essential to be able to keep the lists organized and simple, to track the results.

Discovery

Speedware originally learned of VerticalResponse via a word of mouth recommendation. Prior to this, it did not conduct any proactive outreach beyond sending a quick email to customers who had come through its retail store locations. Speedware selected VerticalResponse because it fit all of the search criteria: it allows them to conduct market research, track how effective each campaign is, and specifically target different groups via the robust list segmentation tools. "We needed to make sure all our email communications have a professional look and feel, to align with the high-end cars our customers love. We’re reaching a more affluent demographic, and the slick look and feel VerticalResponse helps us achieve helps set us apart from our competition. VerticalResponse was an obvious solution on all fronts," said Jennifer Reiss, Director of Marketing, Speedware Motorsports LLC.

Solution

Since beginning to work with VerticalResponse, Speedware Motorsports has been able to continue its strong growth and deepen loyalty among existing customers. With local customers, Speedware has been able to keep in front of them with invitations to VIP events, car shows and special access to exclusive retail offers. With its international customer base, Speedware has used VerticalResponse to inform them about promotions, new products and industry information. Depending upon the type of communication, Speedware can efficiently target and regularly reach out to its diverse customer base.

Results

Using VerticalResponse, Speedware Motorsports is able to send highly-targeted campaigns and newsletters that achieve fantastic response rates of up to 20%. Using VerticalResponse list management tools has helped Speedware organize and manage each campaign. Google Analytics, a great asset for tracking the effectiveness of each campaign, is integrated directly into VerticalResponse accounts, and Speedware uses it to track conversions and evaluate the various campaigns sent to different segments of its list. As a result, Speedware has grown to 8,300 contacts. Additionally, tools such as the Foward to a Friend link have been extremely successful driving new traffic and bringing in returning customers.

"We have been truly impressed by VerticalResponse. The professional marketing tools and readily-available expertise provided by the company have helped us become a recognizable international leader," said Reiss.